


Brighter Days

by galactic-pirates (stillsearching47)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Stargate Universe
Genre: F/M, Marriage of Convenience, Rumbelle Order In The Court
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 14:34:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10596006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stillsearching47/pseuds/galactic-pirates
Summary: Written forOrder in the Court. Two weeks after they drop the colonists off at ‘New Novus’ Destiny drops out of FTL. The colony of Misthaven is technologically advanced, a real dream come true. They have all the food and medical supplies that Destiny could ever want, and they even have a way round the limitations of the gate system for long-term trade. The only catch is what they want to trade for - fresh blood. To seal the alliance Rush marries Belle French but she has plans of her own. They make a secret deal to be partners in science, not partners in the bedroom, but then Misthaven’s council starts to ask questions.





	1. Chapter 1

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since they’d dropped the colonists off at ‘New Novus’. Rush snorted at the unoriginality of the name. The crew was _still_ buzzing over the whole business and he was getting tired of it. Sure it was interesting but it hadn’t been them, just alternate versions of themselves who had travelled in time and created a new reality - this one. Honestly he would have considered the entire incident a waste of time, if not for the substance he’d found to fix the life support system. That had been useful.

“Rush report to the gateroom,” Young ordered over the crackling radio.

“Yes, yes, I’ll be right there,” Rush growled impatiently, clipping the radio to his belt.

The ship was falling to pieces around their ears, he was the only qualified person to fix it, and Colonel Young insisted on bothering him every five minutes. Rush rubbed his face tiredly, and pinched his nose. He had a nearly permanent headache these days, that nothing seemed to fix. The limitations of his body were extremely frustrating. He just wanted to unravel the mysteries of the universe without being called upon to put out fires every five minutes. Why was that too much to ask?

“What is it now?” Rush asked, the moment he caught the glow of the Stargate.

It tinted the room blue, the ripples of the event horizon bouncing off the metal walls. He’d felt them drop out of FTL, but what difference did another new planet make? They’d comb it for supplies and be gone as soon as the countdown ended. He still hadn’t worked out how to bypass that yet, he was sure that there had to be a way. Surely the Ancients hadn’t intended that they would be beholden to Destiny’s timetable; surely they would have wanted control over their journey just as he did.

“See for yourself.” Eli grinned, and handed him a kino remote.

Rush took it, sighing heavily, he was sure that nothing was this interesting. “Huh,” he muttered. He hated it when he was wrong but this was definitely worth the trip.

It wasn’t the fact that the planet was inhabited. They now knew that this galaxy had humans, descendants of their time travelling alternate selves, so the people on the kino were no surprise. It was everything else around them that got Rush’s attention. The first planet where they’d encountered people had been a struggling colony, they were living out of tents and had very little in the way of technology. Not interesting, or helpful. Novus was well developed, with technology that was as good as or better than Earth’s, there hadn’t been time to get a good look before it had been destroyed.

This planet was at least on the same level as Novus.

The stargate was in a sealed room. He flew the kino around to look at all four walls but there didn’t appear to be any visible windows or doors. That really begged the question of how the people had got in there. The walls were just solid concrete and, if he were a betting man, he’d say that they were likely very thick. He suspected that the room had been built to contain whatever possible threat they could imagine coming through the stargate. Idly he wondered why they hadn’t fitted an iris, it wasn’t exactly rocket science but he supposed they had their reasons.

“They said we’re welcome to step through,” Young told him grumpily.

Rush arched an eyebrow, shouldn’t the colonel be celebrating? At the very least they’d likely be able to get good supplies off these people. It was hard not to salivate at the thought of a good meal, but Rush was certain the colonel had other priorities. There were half a dozen people visible from the kino and all but one were soldiers. Given the colonel’s penchant for weapons, his mood really was a surprise.

“Something wrong Colonel?” Rush taunted.

Young scowled and Eli laughed, quickly smothering it behind his palm. Rush frowned and glanced round at the assembled crew. Greer was glaring but that was nothing new, Lt. Scott’s mouth was set in a thin line, he was obviously not happy about something, Camille looked uncomfortable. He was definitely missing something.

“Oh seriously?” Rush sighed and rolled his eyes. “I know the colonists had a few stories about me ...”

“Yeah,” Scott interrupted. “They thought you were the devil.”

“We agreed not to tell him that,” Camille muttered lightly, causing Rush to smirk.

Honestly they really didn’t know him very well did they? He might have a well-deserved ego when it came to science but he really couldn’t care less what anyone thought of him. So the crew’s antipathy towards him had mutated into something else over the years, big surprise, he’d always known they’d hated him except when he was being useful. Then they just loathed the fact that they needed him.

“This lot feel differently,” Young said tightly. “They refused to let us planet-side until I agreed you’d be part of the group.”

“Oh really?” Rush smirked, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. He shouldn’t push this too far because it would only make Young worse once the countdown ended, and Destiny jumped again, but he was going to enjoy this. “Let’s not keep them waiting then.”

He strode forward towards the gate. Young barked something into the kino, and Scott and Greer overtook him, walking through the puddle of the gate a few seconds before he did. Rush blinked when he stepped out of the stargate and onto the planet. No matter how many times he did that, he’d never get used to it. He immediately looked around, trying to spot the hidden entrance that he hadn’t been able to find on the kino. He heard the others step out of the gate behind him and the gate shut off.

“Welcome to Misthaven. I am Councilor David Nolan, well met,” David bent his head, clasping his fist to his heart. “I’m sure our scientists will be fascinated to learn the timeline has caught up with itself. Red.”

David nodded at one of the female soldiers, a tall willowy lady who had a red streak in her hair. Rush guessed that was where she got her nickname. She strode forward, every inch of her screamed command and Rush mentally groaned. He had a horrible feeling they were about to make them jump through hoops and they really didn’t have time. The countdown was short, just eight hours this time. They could force Destiny to drop out once within range but that was it, their time was limited.

“Alright listen up,” Red shouted. “We’re going to do this two at a time. So ancestors,” she smirked. “Don’t be afraid when you start to disappear. You’re just being moved a hundred feet to the left. Half of ours, then half of theirs, you got that darling?”

“Copy,” Red’s radio crackled, as another woman acknowledged the order.

Rush frowned, that couldn’t mean what he thought it meant. Then two of the soldiers disappeared in a flash of light. His jaw dropped, that did mean what he thought it had meant. “Holy fuck,” Rush swore under his breath. They had beaming technology. A genuine smile spread across his face, he hadn’t smiled like this since pre-Destiny, it hurt his smile was so wide. If they had beaming technology, what else did they have?

He blinked, when he rematerialized, and eagerly looked round. They were still indoors but there were now windows, and what a view he could see. Unconsciously he took a step forward, the closest thing he could liken to this view was a video he’d seen of Atlantis. This was on a much smaller scale, it was clear that the colony wasn’t that large but everything was clean, modern and shiny. It looked like mostly glass construction, with concrete and metal providing the framework.

Beyond the city on one side there were dozens of fields, clearly cultivated for crops. On the other side he could see a large forest, stretching towards mountains in the distance. The sun was halfway down the sky, he’d wager it was mid-afternoon, but it was a perfect day. The trees were swaying from a light breeze and Rush took another step, he could see people walking around in various states of dress, so the climate was obviously temperate. That could pose a problem. They’d lost half a dozen crew members to a planet in the previous galaxy which hadn’t been half this good. They really couldn’t afford to lose anymore.

“Rush,” Young snapped.

Rush turned, and saw that their group was being shepherded out of the landing area they were in, presumably to a room somewhere. It was sort of half-corridor, half-observation deck, it was nice and he suspected that they’d designed the transporter to drop people here on purpose. It certainly gave the best impression of their settlement. Rush ambled along at the rear of the group, he could see that the Misthaven soldiers eyes missed nothing but for a change he wasn’t being regarded with suspicion. They didn’t seem to mind him looking around.

“This is the council chamber,” David explained. He gestured to a row of seats. “Make yourselves comfortable. Your arrival was unexpected, but it shouldn’t take long for the council to form.”

The seats faced the council table. It was curved into a semi circle, and on a slightly raised dais from the row of chairs. Rush’s eyes flickered around the room, there were no windows in here, there were just paintings. He stepped closer and raised an eyebrow, he could now see movement from the wind, and a flock of birds swooping in the air. They weren’t paintings, they were screens, and he wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t a live feed from some part of Misthaven.

He suspected that the lack of windows was a security measure, but the screens would allow the council to view their kingdom anyway. With such a small colony as this, he suspected that the council performed multiple functions. They would be the leaders, they would make the laws and they would probably be the judges who would enforce them. It was a system rife for corruption but it mattered little to them. So far they seemed friendly enough, and his wishlist was getting longer and longer, hopefully the Misthaven council would be in a generous mood.

Slowly the council members started to filter in. They were all dressed similarly to David Nolan; dark trousers, and presumably some kind of shirt underneath flowing robes. It had probably been the robes which had put in his mind the idea of judges, as they wore robes in that style. Impatiently Rush tapped his foot, huffing in satisfaction when finally the last seat was filled. There were seven councilors in total. David Nolan who they’d already met, three woman and another man of similar age and then two older men.

If Rush was surprised about anything with this council, it was that five of them appeared to only be mid-thirties at most. The eldest man was in the center, his hair was even shaggier than Rush’s own, and Rush could hear Eli liken him to a lion, earning him a poisonous glare from Young. The other older man looked like a prime candidate for a heart attack, he had a ruddy complexion, and Rush rather uncharitably hoped he wouldn’t croak in the next couple of days. They really didn’t have time. He leaned against the wall, rather than take a seat, and resisted the urge to check his watch. Diplomacy was so necessary and yet so boring.

“This council is called to order,” the eldest man announced, which silenced the room. “For the benefit of our guests, from left to right we have Councilor Mary Margaret Nolan, Ariel Mann, Maurice French, myself Alexander Midas, Thomas Glass, David Nolan who you have already met and last but not least Regina Mills. Welcome to Misthaven.”

“Glad to be here,” Young said curtly. “We’ve only just learned about Novus. We had no idea there was such a well-equipped colony.”

“Well _Colonel_ ,” Regina sneered. “That really doesn’t surprise me.”

“Regina,” David chided gently. “We agreed not to hold them responsible for their alternate selves actions.”

“What of the actions they took before the timeline split?” Regina shot back. She folded her arms and glared at Young. “You know what he is.”

“Enough,” Midas barked. “My apologies Colonel, the council _had_ agreed to treat you without prejudice. However, I must warn you that our people might feel differently. You are not a popular figure here.”

Rush hid his mouth beneath his palm, he knew he was smirking but he was desperately trying not to snigger. Young looked belligerent but really was he so surprised? They had previously encountered Tenaran’s who had one view of history, but even they had been candid enough that Novus had been divided from the very beginning. It was patently obvious that they were facing Futuran’s, and if Tenaran’s had viewed him as the devil, it wasn’t a huge leap to imagine Futuran’s held a similar antipathy towards Young.

“We’re not going to be here for long,” Camille interjected soothingly, shooting Young a wary glance. “Destiny will jump within eight hours. We have two days with your people at most. If you have any supplies to spare we’d be very grateful.”

A slow grin spread across David’s face, in fact all of the councilor’s started to smile, even Regina though it looked like she was trying hard to hold onto her annoyance. “That’s not exactly true,” David told them. “Our scientists discovered a way round the limitations of the gate system. As long as Destiny remains within the galaxy, you’ll always be able to return here.”

“How?” Rush demanded, striding forward. One of the soldiers he’d ignored, that had been standing to attention by the wall, hurried forward to intercept him. Rush held up his hand conciliatorily, he wasn’t interested in trouble. “You have beaming technology, you are obviously not a struggling colony. How?”

“Doctor Rush yes?” Mary Margaret checked. Rush nodded and she smiled at him. “Why don’t we ask Red to escort you to our senior researcher. Belle French will be better able, than any of us, to answer all of your questions.”

“Rush isn’t going anywhere,” Young snapped forcefully.

“That’s not really up to you Colonel,” Regina said coolly. “We aren’t a colony of your sycophants, you won’t find any twenty foot statues of yourself here.”

“I think what Regina means is that we’re talking long-term here Colonel,” David said bluntly, obviously taking on the role of mediator. “You came here hoping for a handful of supplies. We’re offering an alliance.”

Rush twisted round. Young was scowling, Greer and Scott looked lost, both looking towards Young for a sign of what to do. Eli’s eyes were wide, Rush could practically hear the mental chant of ‘best day ever’ from here. Eli was always like a kid in a candy store when it came to new things, no doubt there would be a million incomprehensible pop culture references spilling out of him, the moment they got back to Destiny. Camille touched Young gently on the arm and stepped forward.

“I’m Camille Wray, with the IOA.” Camille bowed her head in imitation of how David had greeted them. “It would be my honor to negotiate an alliance.”

“Excellent,” Midas boomed. “It should just be a simple contract. We don’t like misunderstandings on Misthaven, each side should know what they are getting and what’s expected of them.”

“I’m not sure what we can offer,” Camille started uncertainly.

“Your needs are many, our needs are few,” Midas agreed. “However, you have what we need more than anything else - fresh blood.”

Rush closed his eyes, his hand coming up to pinch his nose. His headache had just got worse. From the looks of bafflement on Lt. Scott and Eli’s faces, they had no idea what Midas meant. Unfortunately for him, he had a very good idea. This was a small colony, if they wanted to survive then they needed to breed. The gene pool would be limited and Destiny’s crew provided new blood, or rather old blood, regardless it would be sufficiently genetically diverse after two thousand years to be useful to them.

“We will grant you all the food, water and medical supplies that you need. Plus clean clothes and any other necessities. In return, to seal the alliance, one of your crew will marry a volunteer of our people,” David reeled off, giving Rush the distinct impression that this was something they were prepared for. How many colonies of Novus were out there anyway? “The only technology we will give you at this stage, is a way round the limitations of the gate system. Anything else will require more on your part.”

“Another marriage,” Young said flatly, his lip curling in disgust. “I’m not doing it.”

Regina snorted. “ _You_ wouldn’t be asked.”

“I’m not going to make a member of my crew whore themselves ...” Young started angrily.

“ _You_ would think of it that way,” Ariel interrupted him. Rush didn’t know her but she had the look of someone who had a sunny disposition, the scowl didn’t look right on her face. “Consent is very important to our people. Both parties have to agree or it won’t happen.”

“You said something about an escort to the lab,” Rush said quickly, taking advantage of the momentary silence.

He had no interest in these negotiations. He was quite certain someone on Destiny would agree to the marriage, even if was just to get off Destiny and live in this veritable paradise instead. In fact putting it in those terms he thought half the crew would probably jump at the chance. The men especially wouldn’t have anything to lose, though the women might think twice if it meant spending the next decade constantly pregnant.

“Yes of course,” David said firmly. He smiled at Rush and gestured to Red. “Red take Doctor Rush to Belle’s lab.”

“I said that ...” Young started.

Camille grabbed him and started whispering furiously to him. Rush ignored them both, instead following Red out of the council chamber, through the corridors and down several flights of stairs.

“Your name isn’t really Red?” Rush checked out of idle curiosity.

She shook her head. “It’s Ruby, but everyone calls me Red.” She gestured to the closed door in front of them. “We’re here. Now I should warn you, Belle can be quite intense. Try and keep up.”

“I’ll do my best,” Rush promised lightly.

Red pushed open the door and Rush got his first look at Belle French. She was petite, shorter than him, as opposed to Red who towered over him. Her chestnut hair was pulled back into a practical pony tail, but it was her eyes that made him stumble as he entered the room. They were the most brilliant blue he thought he’d ever seen.

“Belle this is Doctor Rush,” Red introduced casually.

Belle’s head snapped round. “Rush, as in _the_ Doctor Rush?”

“The one and only,” Rush quipped.

“Well then.” Belle stared at him assessingly, the corners of her mouth curling into a smile. “Let’s see if you live up to your reputation then, Doctor Rush.”


	2. Chapter 2

Three hours later and Rush was wondering if he’d died and gone to heaven. This couldn’t be real life. Belle French was utterly brilliant _and_ she was easy to talk with. She didn’t mind when he slipped into sarcasm, or was dismissive about a point she was making because she did exactly the same to him. Oh he had a feeling that Belle could be all sweetness and light, and that she was probably everybody’s friend, whereas he was a snarky misanthrope full time, but when it came to science she was all business and that was something he could respect.

The mystery of how Misthaven was so well equipped had been easily answered with just one word - politics. Tenara had always had control of the Stargate, and had refused to allow Futura access, therefore the only way for Futura to go off-world had been through ships. Tenara had never seen hyperdrive technology as a priority but Futura had developed it a few hundred years ago. Tenara and Futura had cooperated up to a point, so that everybody could be evacuated from the dying world, but neither side were prepared to give more than necessary. Futura wasn’t willing to share their hyperdrive technology, just as Tenara had never been willing to share the stargate.

“So this part controlled the power flow from the ...” Rush explained, as he scrawled out an algorithm on Belle’s wall-size board. He was interrupted by an insistent beeping.

“What now?” Belle muttered irritably, moving over to a panel on the wall and pressing a button. “This better be good.”

“The council requests your immediate attendance,” the radio crackled.

Belle wrinkled her nose and sighed. “They don’t like to be kept waiting.”

With a surprising lack of annoyance Rush followed her out from the lab, retracing the path he’d taken earlier. He didn’t expect this would take long, and then they could head straight back to the lab. Although he hoped that Colonel Young wasn’t going to prove difficult about this, because Belle wanted a look at Destiny’s systems. She had a lot of ideas on how to improve things, and Misthaven had the materials for them to manufacture components. They might actually be able to fix the ship.

“So I forgot to ask. There’s a Maurice French on the council?” Rush stated, the question obvious in his tone.

“My father,” Belle confirmed. “He’s the traditionalist on the council, he’s very keen we don’t forget where we came from.”

Rush nodded politely as they both entered the council chamber and he froze in his tracks. Greer was as unreadable as ever, Eli had that deer in the headlights look, Lt. Scott looked troubled and Camille a little afraid. It was the Colonel that gave him pause, he looked strangely satisfied and Rush had a horrible feeling that didn’t mean anything good.

“Pending the agreement of the two people in question, the alliance is agreed,” Midas intoned. “Belle, you volunteered for the ceremonial marriage the instant the ancestors arrived. Is that still your wish?”

“It is,” Belle said calmly.

Rush gaped at her. He hadn’t expected that and truthfully he found the idea rather abhorrent. The idea of Belle, who had such a brilliant mind, becoming the broodmare of one of the idiots aboard Destiny. She deserved so much better. Yes, if she wanted children then she should have them, but a mind like hers shouldn’t be wasted on an endless cycle of dirty nappies and midnight feeds.

“Doctor Rush,” Midas pulled Rush from his swirling thoughts. “From our knowledge of the ancestors, Belle believes that you would be her best match. You have not volunteered but do you consent to marry her?”

If Rush had been stunned hearing that Belle had volunteered, he was absolutely flabbergasted now. His jaw had literally dropped, and he thought that his mind actually stopped, he could not compute that what Midas had said could be real. For a start why hadn’t Belle mentioned anything in the last three hours that they’d been alone together? However, the more Rush thought about it, the more he liked the idea. Belle was a scientist, he was a scientist, he would certainly be able to provide her with more intelligent conversation than anyone else on board.

“Doctor Rush?” Midas prompted.

“Yes, I agree.” Rush nodded quickly. “Caught me by surprise.”

“Then it is settled,” Midas boomed.

Rush glanced around, still a little shell-shocked from this unexpected turn of events. Thankfully he didn’t seem to be the only one who was a little stunned, clearly his crewmates had expected a stinging refusal from him, and not an agreement. Young looked like he’d just swallowed a lemon and Rush smirked. Belle was gorgeous, at least a decade younger than him, and for some incomprehensible reason he was her choice. The fact that she was utterly brilliant as well was like the icing on the cake. Rush had to admit he did feel a little like he’d just won the lottery.

He gulped, it suddenly dawning on him that Belle had confirmed that was her father on the council, the one that he’d thought earlier was a prime candidate for a heart attack. Maurice French’s mouth was set in a thin line, he didn’t look pleased but he wasn’t objecting either. Rush knew what he was, a middle-aged workaholic scruffy Scotsman, hardly the man Maurice would probably have picked for his daughter.

What a difference a few hours made. To think that all he’d hoped for when they’d first gated to this planet was a hot meal. Life on Destiny was certainly never boring.

*****

The marriage ceremony itself was rather perfunctory. Misthaven seemed to work on the principle that simple was best, no unnecessary flourishes, it was all about practicality. It was an approach Rush could appreciate and he suspected that was the point. Futura had been founded by Brody and a handful of others who had broken away from Young and his cohort. Tenara had their revered leaders among them, but Futura had been led by a council in the name of people who weren’t there.

Contrary to what the Tenaran colonists had said, nobody on Futura had ever thought he was a god. They were more _practical_ than that. History had recorded his alternate self as a hero, who had sacrificed his own life to keep the wormhole open because he had believed it led to Earth. The only other thing the Futuran’s said about him was that it was a shame he’d never made it to Novus, they thought that the scientific knowledge he had could have sped up their advancement.

It hadn’t just been in his name either that the Futuran’s had founded their society. Part of the oath the Misthaven military took was to try and be worthy of General Hammond’s command. Clearly the soldiers who had sided with Brody, had tried to instill the ethos of the SGC on Futura. Rush had smirked seeing that one of their core values was that they _‘didn’t leave their people behind’_. It really didn’t take a genius to work out why they hated Colonel Young. General O’Neill, Colonel Carter, Doctor Daniel Jackson, in fact the entire SG1 team were also well regarded on Misthaven, despite never having set foot in this galaxy.

“So ...” Belle prompted, clicking the door shut behind her. “We need to talk.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Rush agreed.

They had just got married and were now alone in Belle’s quarters, his gaze kept getting drawn to the bed, but they barely knew one another. Rush had never been one for one-night stands, despite his dislike of entanglements. A no-strings fuck on the surface would be perfect for him, and maybe it was because he’d never had much luck attracting women, but it just wasn’t something he was comfortable with.

Not that he’d ever admit it to anyone but he’d only been with a couple of women, and both of them had propositioned him. It had always amused Gloria that he could be so dense, apparently she’d been flirting with him for an entire semester before he’d noticed. She’d teased him about having his head buried in his notebook all the time, which was _mostly_ accurate. He had been sneaking looks at her legs after all.

Belle bit her lip, wringing her hands together. “I volunteered for this marriage because I wanted to get onboard Destiny. I think that ship holds the key to my life’s work.” She cringed. “I don’t have any interest in marriage itself.”

“Oh,” Rush muttered automatically. Well his first thought on hearing Belle had volunteered was to decry it a waste of her brain. “So partners in science, rather than partners in the bedroom?”

“Yes!” Belle exclaimed. “Oh I’m so glad you understand, I thought you might be angry.”

“No, not angry.” Rush shook his head.

Truthfully he was slightly disappointed. Belle was beautiful, he admired her physically and mentally. For the last few hours, since he’d agreed to the marriage, his thoughts had become increasingly consumed by the idea of sleeping with her. His cock had been largely dormant since Gloria’s death, apart from morning wood which he always ignored, but this evening he’d felt it twitch more than once in anticipation. Christ he was half-hard now, but he figured this was about par for the course for him. He knew what he looked like, it wasn’t really a surprise that Belle didn’t find him attractive. At least she valued him for his mind and that’s what really mattered.

“Good.” Belle smiled in relief. “No-one can know,” she added quickly. “We need everyone to believe this is a real marriage, or the alliance will be at risk.”

“I understand.” Rush nodded. There was a couch in the room which looked comfortable, though his quarters on Destiny were a different story. “So what are you hoping to find on Destiny?”

*****

Rush took a deep breath as he watched the gate spin. In lieu of a traditional wedding night, he and Belle had spent several hours talking before he’d retired to the couch. One of the questions he’d asked her had been about this sealed room. He’d assumed they’d had a reason behind it, rather than investing in an iris, and he’d been right. Apparently there were several colonies out there and there was some trade and travel between them.

An iris would disintegrate anything that hit it - killing anyone that struck it. However, leaving the gate unprotected was a risk Misthaven had been unwilling to take. Trapping any attackers inside a room with no way out, was a clever compromise. They could just as easily beam them into space, as they could beam them to the landing platform. It was an elegant solution and one Rush was surprised Earth had never adopted, once they’d gained beaming technology from the Asgard anyway.

Belle gripped his hand tightly and Rush glanced at her wondering if she was as nervous as he was. Her expression was carefully controlled, just the hint of a smile and her sparkling eyes. She was leaving her planet to go and live on a millennia old ship, which was falling apart, and which was controlled by a man she had zero respect towards. Putting herself under the command of Colonel Young couldn’t be easy. If either of them had a right to be nervous then it was Belle. He was only nervous because he knew the crew.

The kwoosh jetted out and the puddle of the stargate settled. Greer and Scott marched forward without looking back. Eli practically stumbled into the gate he was still looking everywhere but where he was going. Rush squeezed Belle’s hand in support as the strode forward together. Everyone on Destiny would already know who she was and why she was there. Young would have radioed ahead and explained the situation.

Rush hid a grimace. The moment he stepped through, he knew this was going to be even worse than he’d feared. _Everyone_ was staring, which in itself he didn’t mind. He was used to hostile glares. It was the looks of confusion, and incredulity as people’s eyes flickered between him and Belle that grated somewhat. The buzz of whispering increased, the more people they passed, as Rush led Belle through Destiny towards his current quarters. He could hear them.

_“She married Rush?”_

_“I heard that he was her choice, that can’t be right.”_

_“Do you think Rush has something on the Colonel? I mean I would have volunteered.”_

_“Rush man that’s gross. I can’t believe she has to sleep with him.”_

_“He’s probably got no interest. Rush gets off on screwing people over.”_

_“There’s no way she can be into him. He’s a little guy so perhaps she thought it would hurt less.”_

_“Rush seriously? I guess it doesn’t matter, she can close her eyes and picture a lover back home. It’s not like Rush would care, he’s an arsehole.”_

Rush was grateful for his longer hair, as it hid how flushed he was by the time they’d made it through the ship. The problem was the crew was right, he wasn’t having the last laugh here. Belle didn’t like him, she wasn’t attracted to him and she definitely didn’t want to sleep with him. She had picked him because she had thought he would agree to her proposal - partners in science, not in the bedroom. Rush wasn’t sure what that said about him, and he reminded himself that he didn’t care anyway.

He cared about Destiny, about the mission, he didn’t care what people thought about him. He could have done without the jabs about the size of his cock though, that hit below the belt. Belle glanced round his quarters and wrinkled her nose. Rush sniffed, he wasn’t the best at remembering to shower, he would get consumed by his work for days on end and then literally just collapse into bed. However, he didn’t think it smelt that bad in here.

“Hmm,” Belle murmured, turning and walking straight out again.

She tugged on his hand and Rush stumbled after her. Belle’s grip on his hand was firm as she dragged him around the ship. He started to open his mouth to ask if she’d like a tour, but she didn’t appear to be looking at any of Destiny’s systems, she was sticking just to the living quarters. That was an area of the ship he’d had no interest in, beyond making sure his quarters were close to the control room for ease of access. It meant there was a large part of the ship he’d never set foot in but as he looked around, one metallic corridor looked much the same as another.

“Aha.” Belle smiled in satisfaction. “These are much better.”

Rush glanced round, one set of quarters was the same as any other to him, and these were far off the beaten track. He didn’t really want to argue with her but he couldn’t see why they were an improvement over the ones he currently had. Then he caught sight of the internal door and he shook his head, Belle was smart and practical. He’d been mentally groaning at the thought of sleeping on the couch in his quarters, and she’d solved the problem within five minutes of being on board. These were probably what the Ancients had intended as family quarters, as there were two connected rooms. They could sleep separately and nobody would be any the wiser.

“Show me the diner?” Belle requested.

“We call it the mess,” Rush agreed, leading them back through the winding corridors to the main part of the ship.

There was more whispering and more staring the second they appeared. The off-world team were all in the mess hall. Scott, Greer and Eli were seated together on a table, surrounded by a dozen of the crew all eager for their first hand account. Colonel Young and Camille were sitting at a table on the other side of the room. Rush frowned, wondering what they’d been discussing.

“Colonel,” Belle addressed brightly, dragging Rush over towards him. “In case you need to know Nick will be moving quarters, his current ones aren’t suitable now I’ll be sharing them.”

Young coughed. “That’s fine.”

“Great.” Belle smiled impishly. “They are away from the others which is good. We won’t disturb anyone with any ... well any loud noises.”

Rush blinked, as she turned to kiss his cheek and then snuggled into his side. He wrapped his arm round her automatically, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Colonel Young looked like he was about to have a stroke, and Camille looked stunned. He glanced round and saw the incredulous looks had returned. Belle winked at him and Rush felt his enjoyment of the situation evaporate.

Belle had heard all the same comments he had, and because she was wonderful she’d taken action to try and make it better. Everyone else would believe the wink was a saucy reference to their carnal activities, he knew it was a conspiratorial wink. The marriage had to look real, people had to believe in it, or the alliance would crumble. He wanted to enjoy the crews reaction, and he hoped that he would in future, but for now the sick feeling in his gut was stealing all the satisfaction.

The crew couldn’t believe that Belle would choose him as her husband and they were right - she hadn’t. So pretending otherwise and rubbing their noses in it felt rather hollow right now, the crew didn’t know about their deal but he did. As much as he wished otherwise, he had to admit it did hurt. It hurt that Belle would never have chosen him. Belle beamed at him and grabbed his hand again, dragging him out of the mess hall. A couple of wolf whistles chased after them.

 _‘She married Rush?’_ echoed in his mind. The disgust, the disbelief, in their tone. They were right, nobody could ever actually want him. He would pretend, he would play along but he felt cold knowing that all the crews insults were true. Belle didn’t want him, and nobody liked him, he knew what he was but this cut deeper than normal. _‘But he’s Rush??’_


	3. Chapter 3

Rush scratched his chin thoughtfully. It had been five months since they’d first gated to Misthaven, and he couldn’t believe how much better those months had been than the preceding eighteen months he’d spent on Destiny. The difference was of course Belle. She was absolutely incredible and Rush wasn’t afraid to admit to himself he was head over heels in love with her. She had a deft hand with managing people, and handled most of their interactions with the crew, sending them away with a sweet smile.

Their very first day on Destiny, Rush thought he’d fallen a little in love with her. She’d observed that their new quarters would mean that they wouldn’t disturb anyone with loud noises in the night. Colonel Young’s reaction especially had been priceless. That had been the first time Belle had stood up for him, but it hadn’t been the last. She’d been a stalwart ally, providing support and encouragement when he needed it, and calling him on his shit when he screwed up. She’d become not just his partner in science but one of the few he considered a friend.

Within the first couple of days of their marriage Belle had attacked his personal grooming. The thick mane of hair and beard he’d arrived at Misthaven with had been consigned to the past. His hair had been trimmed, and his beard shaved back to the stubble he had favored pre-Destiny. He looked more like the man that had gated to Destiny, than the man Belle had married. New clothes had also been on her list, filling his closet with half a dozen shirt and trouser combos. She’d made her stamp on his life, and Rush guessed that was the point, one look at him and nobody could doubt that they were married.

“Rush, you’re needed in the gateroom,” Young’s voice crackled over the radio.

“I’ll be right there,” Rush snapped.

He stretched, rolling his shoulders and started striding through the corridors. His ever-present headache was also a thing of the past. Belle wasn’t just good at managing the crew, she managed him as well. Without him really noticing, she’d manipulated him into eating and sleeping regularly. Sometimes she would even massage his neck, when he’d been bent over the console all day. It was the highlight of his week when he got to return the favor. Belle was so responsive, and it made him wish Destiny’s showers could be turned to cold. He adamantly refused to take himself in hand, Belle didn’t want him so it didn’t seem right to fantasize about her. It sometimes took what felt like forever for his erection to subside but, no matter the discomfort, it was definitely worth it.

“What’s happening now?” Rush demanded as he strolled into the gateroom. The gate was active, the blue ripples shimmering along the metal walls.

“You tell me,” Young said bluntly. “Belle gated to Misthaven earlier, now they are asking for you.”

Rush shrugged. “No clue but I guess I should be going.” He smirked. “Don’t want to keep Belle waiting.”

Young scowled, as he did every time Rush and Belle were linked together in a sentence. Rush knew it was mean but he relished the man’s discomfort, and made a deliberate point to talk about Belle in front of him as much as possible. Chuckling, Rush walked through the gate. He nodded to the soldier on duty and waited. Half a minute later, there was a flash of white light and he was transported to the landing area.

“Ah Doctor Rush, finally!” Red exclaimed. “Come with me, the council is waiting.”

“What is this about?” Rush asked.

“I don’t know,” Red admitted. “It’s ... above my paygrade. Is that right? I heard one of your guys say that.”

“Yes, yes, I understand,” Rush muttered. Red didn’t know and seeing Belle standing white-faced in front of the council, only increased his anxiety. He strode over and put his arm round her, kissing her cheek. “What’s going on sweetheart?”

“That’s what you’ve been brought here for us to find out,” Midas said seriously. “You’ve been married five months and Belle still isn’t with child.”

“I don’t think that’s anyone’s business but ours,” Rush said stiffly, his eyes flickering over the council. Maurice, his father-in-law, looked distinctly uncomfortable, and Rush rather thought they should have excused the poor man. They were talking about him shagging the man’s daughter after all.

Midas chuckled. “Oh come now Doctor Rush, surely you aren’t so naive as not to understand the purpose of the marriage. It wasn’t just a union to cement an alliance, it was about children.”

“These things take time,” Belle argued.

“Nobody’s saying they don’t Belle,” Mary Margaret said earnestly. She stared at the table uncomfortably. “It’s just there has been some suggestion that ...”

“The marriage is fraudulent,” Belle finished bluntly. She turned to her father. “Papa really?”

“I’m sorry my girl,” Maurice apologized, holding up his hands. “I had no choice.”

“There is an easy way to resolve this,” Regina said evenly. “This council can sit in judgment.”

With the dark robes they were all wearing, they’d never looked more like judges. Rush tightened his grip on Belle. This wasn’t just the council chamber for the leaders of Misthaven, as he’d always suspected this was a courtroom, but how the hell could they sit in judgment on his marriage? What possible evidence could be presented as to whether he and Belle were shagging or not? Short of pregnancy, and the lack of that was the whole reason for this little drama, there was no way to prove it.

“How precisely are you going to do that?” Rush arched an eyebrow in challenge.

All seven of the council members looked at one another. David grimaced and cleared his throat. “It’s quite simple really. You’ll stay here until you’ve ...” He coughed, his eyes flickering to Maurice who had shut his eyes, as if he were pretending he was anywhere else. “Well, you know, and then Belle will be examined by our doctors.”

“You can’t be serious?” Rush blurted out.

Belle was still as a statue next to him. While he certainly had no problem personally with the idea, he had a very big problem with it because Belle did. Rush could make the hard choices, and he’d done some things others would say were wrong, but he’d never forced himself on a woman. There was no way he was touching Belle without her explicit engraved consent. However, he wasn’t sure he’d even be comfortable with that at the moment. There was a difference between willing and wanting, and if Belle just agreed because the council demanded it, then that wasn’t true consent.

“It’s fine.” Belle shrugged nonchalantly but Rush could hear the strain in her voice. She smirked at the council. “We’re going to want a little privacy though.”

Rush didn’t think he’d ever seen a room empty quite so fast. Within a minute the door thudded firmly shut, leaving them alone. Belle turned, and buried herself in his arms. Rush tensed, he didn’t know what to do, so he settled for stroking her back. She was obviously upset and he wanted to comfort her, hell he loved her, and he wished he knew what to say. If the council ruled the marriage as fraudulent then they might never see one another again. The last five months had been wonderful and it almost physically hurt that they were over. He should have known it wouldn’t last, nothing good ever did for someone like him.

“This is my fault,” Belle mumbled into his neck.

“It’s not,” Rush stated firmly. “Your research on wormhole physics is revolutionary. It could be our way home. You needed to be on Destiny for that, and the marriage was the easiest way. We both agreed, partners in science, not in the bedroom.”

Belle winced and glanced around. “They probably have listening devices in here. They’ll probably be able to hear everything.” She sighed heavily. “It doesn’t matter I guess. You don’t want me ...”

“What?” Rush blinked, he must have heard her wrong. “Did you just say I don’t want you?”

“Well yeah.” Belle shrugged uncomfortably, taking a step back away from him. “You looked so relieved on our wedding night when we made our pact. I just figured ...”

“No, no,” Rush interrupted. “Trust me I was _very_ interested then, and god it’s only got worse. I’m in love with you. It’s _you_ that has never wanted _me_.” Rush grimaced, immediately regretting his confession. He regretted it even more when Belle started to laugh.

“I’m sorry,” Belle managed, in between giggles. “That’s just exactly what I would say about you. The moment we met, god there was this instant attraction. I think I was half in love with you after the first afternoon we spent together. You’re so brilliant, and the way you gesture when you talk, and your dry comments. It’s not that I didn’t want you ...”

“Then why?” Rush breathed, scarcely able to believe what he’d just heard. Gloria had always said he was dense, but had they both really been in love with one another for five months, pretending to be married, and thinking the other one wasn’t interested? That was ridiculous.

Belle groaned. “You heard them. The whole point is children so it wasn’t like I could get hold of any birth control. While I want kids, I’m a _scientist_ , I want to peel back the layers of mystery of the universe, I was _scared_.”

Her confession hung heavy in the air. Rush really didn’t know what to say, after all they still didn’t have any birth control, and they were sort of on the clock here. “What do you want to do?” he asked hoarsely.

“I think ...” Belle bit her lip, a blush decorating her cheeks. “I think I’d like to make love to my husband.”

Rush coughed awkwardly. “What about ...”

“If it happens, it happens,” Belle accepted. “I want you, and not just this once. I think we’re going to have to prepare ourselves to be parents.”

“I can do that,” Rush agreed.

At one time the thought would have terrified him. What did he know about being a father? However, the thought of having children with Belle was strangely pleasant. She was so good, so kind and brilliant, she would make a wonderful mother. She was also fierce, and Rush knew with certainty that she wouldn’t let him screw it up. Belle smiled at him and Rush smiled back. They were in agreement but this was still incredibly awkward. They’d never even kissed and now they had to shag in this alien courtroom, and there wasn’t even a bed.

He glanced around. The row of seats facing the council tables were cushioned but narrow, and the break between each seat would make attempting to lay across them acutely uncomfortable. The seats for the councilors were a lot more comfortable, they were like high back office chairs, but they were fixed to the ground. They swiveled to let the councilors sit down and were far too close to the table for the two of them. There was the council table itself but something in Rush recoiled from that. Belle’s father sat at that table. However, that was at least more palatable than the floor, Belle really deserved better than this.

“You know they could at least have beamed in a mattress or something,” Rush griped.

“I think we’ll manage,” Belle said teasingly.

“Well yes but ...” Rush groped for the right words to say. Belle’s talk of birth control had raised an ugly suspicion in his mind. This was their first time together, but if Misthaven was as intent on children as they seemed to be, it might well be Belle’s _first_ , first time. “Have you done ... this before?”

“I’ve never made love,” Belle admitted candidly, and with a surprising lack of embarrassment. “Done other things. Anything that didn’t require birth control.”

“Right,” Rush practically squeaked. That made this even worse.

Belle rolled her eyes at him. “Nick stop it.”

Rush opened his mouth to argue, to say something about how she deserved better, about how she deserved something special when Belle grabbed him slanting her mouth over his. For a moment he was too stunned to kiss her back, but Belle wasn’t waiting for him. One hand moved round to tangle in his hair, the other drifted down to his arse tugging him closer. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, and she sucked on his bottom lip. He growled, sliding his tongue against hers, dipping into her mouth to finally taste her. He could feel himself hardening, and he still wasn’t sure how they were going to do this, but logistics seemed unimportant now.

Groaning he wrenched his mouth away from hers, sucking in a lungful of needed air. His lips felt like they were glued to her skin, he couldn’t get enough, he planted open mouthed kisses down her neck; sucking, licking, his teeth gently tugging the skin. His marks were going to be all over her, if the council wanted evidence well they were going to damn well get it. His hands roamed her back, reaching down to pull her more firmly against him. Belle wrapped a leg around his waist and his eyes rolled, he could feel her warmth even through their layers of clothing.

“I want you,” Belle mumbled against his neck, her breath warm. He shivered, slipping his hands under her shirt intending to yank it off, when he froze. Belle had mentioned that they might have listening devices in here but what if that wasn’t all they had? “Nick?” Belle prompted, sensing his hesitation.

“You don’t think there’s cameras in here?” Rush asked uneasily.

Belle’s eyes widened and she took a step back, glancing uneasily around the room. “I hope not.”

Rush grimaced, she wasn’t sure. Belle crossed her arms, a gesture of self-protection if he ever saw one. “That’s alright, we can still do this. We’ll just keep our clothes on, aside from the necessary parts.” He cringed, surely Belle would change her mind now.

She nodded and smiled in relief. “Then when we get back to Destiny, we can take all the time we want to explore one another.” Belle looked down at herself wryly. “Of all the days to wear pants and not a skirt.”

Belle glanced around again and Rush gulped at the predatory smirk she gained. She walked backwards, hands moving to her waist. She unbuttoned her trousers, pulling them and her underwear down just enough that they slipped off her arse. Holding them to herself, and bending over so her shirt further obscured her, Belle hopped up onto the council table. With one hand she protected her modesty, with the other she beckoned him to come closer.

Rush moved forward, drawn to her like she was a siren, the details of their surroundings just faded into a blur. All he could see was her, all he cared about was her. His hands moved to his belt, shaking a little as he tried to unbuckle it as he walked. Then he was there, cradled between her thighs, his hands drifting to touch her like there was a magnetic pull. Intellectually he knew he needed to take his pants off but that would mean putting more than an inch of space between them and he couldn’t do that.

Clumsily he kissed her. Through her shirt he cupped her breast, his thumb brushing over the nipple. He frowned, he couldn’t really feel anything so he slipped his hand under her shirt. Her bra was thick, which made sense given how cold Destiny could get. He fumbled for the clasp and Belle huffed in amusement, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Time for that later Nick, just touch me,” Belle whispered in his ear.

She didn’t need to tell him twice. His left hand curved around her back to hold her steady, while his right dipped in between her legs. He hadn’t expected her to be wet and she wasn’t, not really. For the umpteenth time he wished this was going differently. He wanted to spread Belle out on a bed, bathe every inch of her with his tongue, touch and taste until he knew every place that brought her pleasure. He wanted to make her come over and over, before sliding his cock deep inside and finally making them both come.

Gently he traced the outside of her folds, hearing her breath hitch. He drew a little bit of courage from that but he knew what he was, and he knew that he would never live up to his fantasies. It had been _years_ , he’d be lucky if he lasted two minutes. His cock was so hard, it hurt where he was pressing against his zipper. His hands were trembling like he’d never touched a woman before. Belle moaned against his neck and he closed his eyes. When he massaged her neck, she was always so responsive, he was rock hard in seconds. For a second he panicked that if he did make her come, he’d then come in his pants like an idiot schoolboy which would ruin everything. He had to come inside her, or this would all be for nothing.

He could feel Belle getting wetter, he dipped his fingers down to her entrance, spreading the moisture he found. She gasped as he brushed her clit, her body jolting and he nearly swallowed his tongue, the pressure of her thigh against his cock was maddening. He kept the movements of his hand slow, languid, in direct opposition to the desperation in his kiss. Belle was shaking in his arms when he finally chanced sliding a finger inside her. He hissed, she was so wet, so hot, and so tight, and it had been so long, he didn’t think he’d last until he was fully inside her.

“Nick,” Belle moaned.

“Not yet, not yet,” Rush said tightly.

He didn’t want to hurt her, he wanted this to be good for her. He rubbed her clit with his thumb, sinking another finger inside her. Belle rocked her hips, her breathing uneven as she gasped and moaned. Rush gritted his teeth, holding onto his sanity and self-control by a thread. He tried to think of anything else but Belle’s groans of pleasure; how good she felt around his fingers and how good she would then feel around his cock, anything but the obscene wet slap as he thrust his fingers in and out of her. Belle threw her head back, a silent scream caught in her throat, he felt her convulse round his fingers and he sunk his teeth into his lip.

“Fuck,” Rush growled. “Fuck I can’t hold this Belle, I need you.”

“Yes, yes,” Belle slurred, her eyes unfocused in the aftermath of her orgasm.

Despite knowing it was a mistake Rush lifted his fingers to his mouth and sucked them clean. He whimpered at the taste, his cock throbbing, he was so fucking close. His hands shaking he tugged at his belt, it felt like an age before it came loose and he could yank his pants and boxers down to pool at his ankles. There was a roaring in his ears. He squeezed his cock hard as he lined them up, in a vain attempt to take the edge of, biting the inside of his cheek at the feel of her hot wet flesh against the head of his cock.

He was shaking all over with the desire to thrust as he gently eased inside. Belle was soaking and he slipped in easily but he wanted to give her time to adjust. It was torture, he was losing his mind, and when Belle’s hand drifted down to his arse he lost it. He thrust once, twice, before his mind went blank and he came hard. His hips kept jerking helplessly against her and his head rested against her neck, his breathing ragged. After a minute he felt himself soften and he slipped out of her. He shivered suddenly mindful that if there were cameras in here, then they were getting a very good view of his bare arse.

“Well that should be more than enough to please them,” Belle murmured with a very self-satisfied tone.

Rush shuddered as her nails scraped the back of his neck. He knew he should move from where he was half-collapsed against her, but he wasn’t sure his legs would continue to hold him up. The circumstances had been less than ideal, he never would have picked their first time to be in an alien courtroom, but he thought that was one of the more powerful orgasms of his life. He was embarrassed that he’d lasted less than a minute, but Belle didn’t seem to mind and it had been years. He’d lost interest when Gloria had got sick and then in his grief it had been the last thing on his mind. After that it just hadn’t seemed important, taking himself in hand had lost all appeal and on Destiny he was too busy for pleasures of the flesh. Well, he _had_ been too busy, that was certainly going to change now.

Belle held him against her, showing no signs that she wanted him to move. Rush felt his heart rate slow, and he started to grow uncomfortable. Reluctantly he took a step back and yanked up his trousers, refastening them and the belt, like nothing had happened. Belle jumped off the table and did the same. There was a wet patch where she’d been sitting and Rush winced, mentally thinking back, he thought this was Thomas Glass’s seat, so at least it wasn’t her fathers. That would have been much worse.

She slipped her hand into his. “Come on.” she nodded towards the door and Rush took a deep breath. She tugged him along but it was unnecessary, he would follow her anywhere.

Time to face the music. If they had been listening then he wasn’t sure what they would do, given that the marriage had now been consummated, something a medical exam would easily prove. Hopefully they would just let it go, it’s not like they could go back and change the last five months so what difference would it make? Truthfully he was far more interested in getting Belle back to Destiny. He hoped the medical exam wouldn’t take long, and the mysteries of the universe could wait a day. He had plans including Belle, their quarters, and absolutely no clothing.

Belle had said, once they were back on Destiny, they could take all the time they wanted to explore one another. Unless Destiny was self-destructing all around them, and perhaps even then, nothing would keep him from doing just that. They were partners now, in science _and_ in the bedroom, and partners didn’t leave one another wanting. It would take him a little while to recover, but Rush rather thought he owed Belle several orgasms anyway to make up for this initial encounter. With time, and space, and the edge taken off, he was sure he would do much better. His cock twitched at the thought, maybe it wouldn’t take him that long for round two after all.


End file.
